Home Again

We got the call a couple days ago: our bike was done and ready to be picked up. So, late this afternoon on the way home from the doctor's, we dropped by the shop to pick up our tandem. All cleaned up, lubed up, and with brand new red lizard skin bar wrap, it is ready to ride. It'll be some time before the weather cooperates and allows us to road test it. With a low of zero tonight, and a high of 5 tomorrow, I don't think it'll be this weekend. Welcome home, Santana, the garage looks normal again with you there. And thank you, Freewheel Bike, for the good service.

Bookends

We made arrangements to stay in the host hotel in Memphis (The Sheraton) the night before our trip and the night we return, as well as purchased tickets to ride from New Orleans to Memphis on Amtrak's City of New Orleans (do you hear Arlo Guthrie singing? If not: Arlo Guthrie's City of New Orleans) for our return transportation. All are arranged through our tour group, so even though it's an extra expense, it'll be convenient. They even say our luggage will be delivered from our hotel room to the paddle boat while we are out riding our first day. Nice! We've talked to Caitlin and are planning to stay a few days in Nashville afterwards on our way home but we still have to work out our plans for driving south before the tour. Anticipation is building! It'll help get me through the many doctor's appointments I have this month. :)

Life's curve balls

Sometimes life throws you a curve ball when you least expect it. We had that happen last week with a phone call from my doctor telling me a mole on my shoulder he biopsied was melanoma. Fortunately, we caught it very early. My surgeon was amazed that we saw it so early, but both of us knew it needed attention. It looked to me very similar to Marge's first melanoma (she's 5 years cancer free!) and she didn't like it either. Next Wednesday I have the skin surrounding the mole removed and checked. My doctor didn't get all of it out with the biopsy, so hopefully the surgery will get everything. It's classed as stage 0 (or in situ) meaning it hasn't invaded the dermal layer at all, so prognosis is good. I had a dermatology check up last week to be sure there ins't anything more that needs attention, and that doctor didn't find anything else to be worried about. Good news.

Surgery won't affect our bike training except that we might lose a day because of the sedation but we can work around that. We're enjoying watching TV (classic Hawaii 5-O, NCIS, NCIS New Orleans) while we bike in the gym with a portable DVD player. We throw in a Sufferfest training video every once-in-a-while just to keep us honest!